Be My Baby - Vol.1 Chapter 1 Part 3
[Car wash fee collection.]
Seonwoo, who had just come out of the lab and was about to put his lab coat in the sterilizer, was startled and fluttered at the message that arrived like a threat when he checked the sender.
“What should I do? What should I do?”
Seonwoo, who had completely forgotten about it, kept repeating “What should I do, what should I do?” while looking around frantically. Seeing his busy behavior, Jaemin, a colleague of the same age who had recently joined and was taking off his lab coat next to him, looked at him and asked:
“What’s wrong?”
“Um, money, money…”
“What about money?”
“Well, I need to pay for a car wash, but how much does it cost?”
At Seonwoo’s question as he held his phone tightly in both hands, unable to stay still, Jaemin took off his lab coat and tilted his head.
“Well, that depends on where and what kind of car you’re washing. But why a car wash? You don’t have a car, right?”
“Oh, I kind of scribbled on someone else’s car window…”
“Scribbled?”
“Yeah…”
Jaemin looked like he wanted to ask why someone his age would scribble on someone else’s car, but having realized through working together that Seonwoo often did strange things, he decided not to ask about that.
“For window scribbles, it depends on what you used to scribble, and it also varies by company. If it’s done by hand, it’s more expensive, so you should just ask directly.”
“That would be better, right?”
“That’s the quickest and easiest way. Hey, want to have dinner together? There’s a new noodle place just outside the center. Professor Choi and Dr. Yoon are going too.”
At the mention of noodles, Seonwoo’s mouth watered and his eyes lit up. He was about to nod vigorously and say let’s go right away, given his recent explosive appetite, when the phone he was holding rang again.
Startled by the sound as if having a seizure, he looked down at his phone to see hyung’s number again. This time it wasn’t a message, but a call. Hurriedly pressing the call button at the ringtone that seemed to be angrily asking why he wasn’t answering the phone, he spoke:
“Hello?”
“Where are you?”
“Ah, here… Still at the research institute. I just got off work.”
“I’m in front of your lab. Come out.”
“…Pardon?”
“I said I’m in front of the National Genetic Engineering Center.”
Not sure why this person was here again, but since he had come all the way here, Seonwoo hurriedly replied:
“Yes! I’ll come out now. I’ll run there.”
“Walk. Don’t run and trip over something again.”
Reminded of the sad past when he had spectacularly tumbled down the stairs after spotting hyung at a domestic seminar held at a hotel last year, which was truly, very much by chance, Seonwoo meekly answered:
“…Yes.”
“Good.”
As the call ended abruptly with those words, Seonwoo was about to hurriedly change his clothes when Jaemin, who was just putting on his jacket next to him, carefully asked:
“What’s wrong? Did someone come?”
“Yeah…”
“Then I guess you can’t have dinner together.”
“Oh, sorry. Let’s eat together next time. I’ll go first.”
Thinking that hyung was right in front of this place, Seonwoo felt rushed and dashed out of the changing room with just his bag in hand. As there was some distance between the center’s main building and the research institute where Seonwoo worked, he ran like mad and exited through the main entrance of the main building. There, he saw hyung talking on the phone next to a sleek silver car.
“As expected… he’s so cool.”
Dressed impeccably in a perfect suit, standing upright next to the car, hyung looked amazing from any angle.
Of course, Eunsoo, with his similar genetic makeup, was quite good-looking too, but he was different from this person. In other words, it was a matter of fundamentals.
No matter how much one manipulates genes, there’s a limit to the materials, so it’s usually impossible to achieve such a perfect combination, but this person was perfect despite that.
He was such a perfect specimen that Seonwoo really wanted to have his genes, but he absolutely wouldn’t give them up.
“What a waste…”
Suddenly feeling regretful about the sperm he had flushed away a month ago, Seonwoo made a small groaning sound, which caused hyung, who was on the phone, to look in his direction.
The moment their eyes met, Seonwoo flinched and quickly averted his gaze, but hyung had already noticed his presence. As hyung stared at him and beckoned with his left hand as if to say “come down quickly,” Seonwoo hurriedly ran down the stairs two at a time. Hyung, who was still on the phone, suddenly shouted.
“Hey! Don’t run!”
Startled by the booming voice that echoed through the parking lot, Seonwoo’s ankle twisted slightly. But he quickly regained his balance and continued to run. Hyung hurriedly ended his call. As he turned around with an angry expression, Seonwoo approached and spoke first.
“I’m fine. That time was because I was wearing dress shoes, but today I’m wearing sneakers. I run well in sneakers.”
“In your case, it’s not running, it’s rolling. 100 meters in 28 seconds, you dimwit.”
Reminded of the fact that he had barely passed the failing mark of 28 seconds in the basic physical education test during high school, Seonwoo accurately corrected hyung’s misunderstanding.
“It was exactly 27.82 seconds.”
The moment Seonwoo pointedly clarified that there was a huge difference between 27.82 seconds and 28 seconds, and that he had barely avoided failing with a score twice that of the average students who ran 100 meters in 15 seconds, hyung’s expression turned quite sour.
From the perspective of hyung, who could run 100 meters in the 13-second range, it seemed like there was no difference between the two times.
“So, there’s a huge wall between 27 seconds and 28 seconds. 28 seconds is failing, and 27 seconds is passing…”
As Seonwoo was about to explain the criteria precisely, hyung cut him off as if he didn’t want to hear any more.
“Enough, did you twist your ankle? You stumbled.”
Despite clicking his tongue, hyung looked down at Seonwoo’s ankle with a worried expression. Seonwoo quickly shook his head.
“I’m fine. My joints are strong. Oh, right. The car wash fee. How much is the car wash fee?”
“I’m sorry. I should have given it to you through Eunsoo first…”
Actually, it had been an awkward situation to go through Eunsoo, so he had been procrastinating, but he felt he should make an excuse anyway. Fortunately, hyung didn’t refute that statement.
“Do you have cash?”
“I can get some… probably.”
Since everything was free within the research institute and he mostly used cards even when going out, he had even forgotten how to withdraw cash, but he could figure out how to get some.
Just as he was about to ask how much it was, hyung took a step back and headed towards the driver’s seat.
“Then send it to my account. Get in for now. Let’s go eat.”
“…Eat?”
“It’s before dinner time. Get in.”
Although he didn’t understand why hyung suddenly wanted to eat together, he was excited about the prospect of sharing a meal. Before hyung could change his mind, Seonwoo quickly got into the passenger seat.
“Then, I’ll treat you to dinner.”
“Of course. What do you want to eat?”
After pressing the start button and gripping the steering wheel, hyung asked. Seonwoo thought for a moment and then blurted out the first menu that came to mind.
“Meat.”
“Meat?”
“Yes.”
“Do you know any good meat places around here?”
“Everywhere around here is delicious.”
Seonwoo answered quite smartly, explaining that since the National Genetic Engineering Center had been established here for a long time, there were many old restaurants in the area, and most of them were at least decent. Then hyung switched the monitor to navigation mode, as if he would find a place himself. While quickly searching for highly-rated restaurants, Eungyo suddenly asked:
“Is Western food okay? Ah, can you not eat Western food?”
“Meat is fine.”
“I see.”
With those words, Eungyo checked a nearby restaurant and switched to the semi-automatic driving system. The car immediately began to leave the research institute. As the car slowly moved, Seonwoo quietly looked ahead, and hyung initiated a conversation.
“Come to think of it, what about your car? I’ve never seen you drive here.”
“I don’t have a car.”
“Why? Isn’t it better to have a car when going out, since the research institute is so remote?”
“Uh… I can’t get a driver’s license.”
“Why?”
“I destroyed the in-school driving test site in high school, so I was banned from taking the driver’s license test for 10 years.”
With the advancement of GPS precision and car AI, it had become a world where pressing a few buttons would allow the car to transport people automatically. Thanks to this, driver’s license education was included in the high school curriculum so that all citizens could obtain a license during high school.
It was a “license” subject that taught traffic laws, car mechanisms, accident response procedures, and legal processing all at once. Additionally, a personality test was added as a mandatory part of the license exam to screen for personality traits with a high risk of causing accidents.
This was mainly to identify people with high levels of violence, or in extremely rare cases, those whose motor skills or reflexes fell below the bottom 1% of the population. In such cases, their eligibility for the license test would be revoked for a certain period to maintain road safety.
And he was one of those extremely rare latter cases.
To be precise, it wasn’t that he had destroyed the driving test site that was the problem, but rather that he couldn’t get a license because his reflexes were too poor. However, unable to say that with his own mouth, he made an excuse that wasn’t even close to the truth. Hyung let out a small sigh.
“I’d heard rumors that such people existed, but I didn’t think it was true… But it really is true.”
The unspoken “And right next to me” seemed to pierce Seonwoo’s heart particularly sharply. He quickly turned his head and closed his mouth. Hyung, as if regretting asking, changed the subject.
“Let’s talk after we eat first.”
“Meat.”
“Right, meat.”
As it happened, he was hungry, so he hummed a tune happily at the prospect of meat and looked out the window. The car was already speeding along the road as the sun was slowly setting.
It was a pleasant evening.
“…I hope the National Genetic Engineering Center isn’t short on budget these days?”
Already on the fourth main dish.
Seeing Seonwoo, whose eyes had suddenly lit up at the sight of meat, devour exactly four plates including sirloin, tenderloin, and T-bone steak, Eungyo was sincerely worried about the financial state of the Genetic Engineering Center.
The Genetic Engineering Center was famous nationwide for feeding its employees well. With a face that couldn’t believe such a starving person existed there, Eungyo muttered somewhat disgustedly. Seonwoo blinked his eyes as if to ask what he meant.
“The director was boasting that he secured a lot of budget this year too.”
Seeing Seonwoo’s reaction, who completely failed to understand Eungyo’s metaphor, Eungyo reflected. If he hadn’t seen him for a while, he had overestimated Seonwoo’s intelligence, no, his social skills.
“I’m asking if they’re not feeding you properly at the center these days.”
Realizing the meaning of Eungyo’s words at that quite blatant statement, Seonwoo, who had been stuffing a piece of meat into his mouth, closed it, feeling embarrassed for being too gluttonous.
“Uh… I’m just hungry… Sorry…”
Seeing Seonwoo constantly saying “I’m sorry” and “I was wrong” since they met again after a month, Eungyo frowned.
Of course, he should apologize for what happened a month ago, but seeing him so deflated and constantly checking Eungyo’s mood like a puppy that had been scolded by its owner didn’t sit well with him. To be precise, it seemed to irritate him a bit.
Originally, when they met face-to-face, Seonwoo would always slink away cautiously, but he would still run away with a bright smile as if he was overjoyed. Now, he wouldn’t even make eye contact and just looked gloomy, which made Eungyo feel uneasy.
Feeling somewhat thirsty, he took a sip of water. Meanwhile, Seonwoo put the last piece of meat in his mouth and smiled, his eyes curved like half-moons. Seeing that face like a satiated puppy, Eungyo couldn’t help but laugh. After neatly emptying all the plates, Seonwoo now drank his beverage.
When their eyes met suddenly, Seonwoo hunched his shoulders and averted his gaze. Seeing him act so uncharacteristically cautious, Eungyo changed the subject to something neutral.
“Have you been well all this time?”
“…Yes. I’ve been sleeping well and eating well.”
“It seems so. Judging by how your cheeks look like they’re about to burst.”
He had heard briefly from Eunsoo, but seeing it in person, Seonwoo had indeed gained a lot of weight.
Just in the face, that is.
While his body remained thin, his face was glowing and his cheeks looked like they were about to burst. Intrigued by this, Eungyo stared at his face, causing Seonwoo to rub his cheeks with his palms, seemingly embarrassed.
“I’ve been eating a lot these days. To the point where Seyoon teases me, asking if I’m pregnant…”
“That’s not something you should do to a child.”
Slightly mocking that if by some chance he were to be born with a dimwit as a father, wouldn’t the child be shocked, Eungyo spoke. Seonwoo nodded meekly.
“That’s true…”
“I heard you’re abstaining from alcohol these days?”
“Yes. I’m trying to quit altogether while I’m at it. I won’t drink ever again.”
“Good thinking. If you didn’t quit drinking, I would have ended your life for you.”
“…I’m sorry.”
Seeing him bow his head again after having an animated conversation made Eungyo feel even worse. Watching the guy who used to be like a zombie, never knowing when to give up, now looking so deflated felt somehow unsettling.
It felt almost as if he had done something wrong.
“If you stick to abstinence strictly, you can call occasionally. Eunho and Eunsoo, and other friends contact me from time to time too.”
Of course, he didn’t even receive calls from his brothers’ friends, and if they tried to make clumsy requests over the phone, he would show them the depths of hell. But pretending to be kind and generous, he spoke as if he was doing Seonwoo a favor. The dimwit shook his head vigorously.
“No, you really don’t have to. I’ve even blocked outgoing calls on my phone. I won’t call again, ever.”
Seeing him shake his head relentlessly and grimace as if he had seen something terrifying, a low voice escaped through Eungyo’s teeth.
“…So you got the sperm and you’re done with me?”
Realizing what he had said unconsciously, Eungyo quickly closed his mouth. At that moment, Seonwoo blinked and stared at him.
Faced with that expression that seemed to ask what he meant – which could be seen as innocently pure if viewed positively, or terribly obtuse if viewed negatively – Eungyo pretended nothing had happened and changed the subject.
“A month should be enough time for you to reflect. Since Eunsoo is my brother and you’re Eunsoo’s friend, we can’t avoid seeing each other forever, so there’s no need to deliberately avoid me. But on the condition that you absolutely never touch alcohol.”
At this surprisingly generous proposal, Seonwoo hesitated and then carefully asked with a fork in his mouth.
“…Can I really call you?”
“Yes.”
Pretending to be kind, Eungyo nodded and took another sip of water. A bright smile spread across Seonwoo’s round, moon-like face. With the corners of his mouth turning up and his eyes drooping, his expression changed to resemble a smiley face. Seeing this, a smile involuntarily appeared on Eungyo’s lips.
Due to his chubby cheeks, his face momentarily resembled a dumpling or a rice cake. Trying hard to suppress his laughter, Eungyo put down his glass. Seonwoo, wearing a rare radiant smile, spoke a word as if deeply moved.
“Thank you.”
“Of course you should be thankful. Unblock your outgoing calls right away. I’ll forgive the occasional check-in call.”
“I’ll unblock it now.”
Watching him fiddle with his phone, which he seemed to handle well despite being a dimwit, Eungyo felt the knots in his mood from the past few days slowly unraveling.
No, in fact, he might have felt a little happy.
“Thank you. Well then, have a safe trip back.”
After dinner, Seonwoo, who had returned to his dormitory, politely greeted Eungyo as he got out of the car that had stopped in front of the main gate.
“You…”
Eungyo, still seated in the driver’s seat, was about to say something but then closed his mouth. Seonwoo’s eyes sparkled as if urging him to say whatever it was. His expression seemed bolstered by being told he could call.
Seeing his overly confident expression, Eungyo’s lips twitched, but he soon shook his head.
“No, never mind. It’s late, so next time. Go in quickly and rest.”
“Yes. Drive safely.”
As Seonwoo took a step back and bowed deeply, saying it would take quite some time to get to Seoul so be careful, the car window rolled up. Seonwoo watched the car slowly move away from the main gate, then immediately walked through the small garden and entered the house.
He then went straight to the bedroom, jumped onto the bed, and kicked his feet happily like a child. After a moment, Seonwoo lay back facing the ceiling and used his phone to find Seyoon’s number and pressed the call button.
After exactly two rings, the call connected, and Seonwoo excitedly bragged:
“I’m allowed to call now!”
